1. Field of the Invention
The device of this invention is an improved U-clip and more particularly relates to the type of U-clips applied to hold pairs of wires together.
2. Description of the Prior Art
U-clips been long been known and used with applying tools to hold parallel wires together in fields such as upholstery where they hold the various wire springs and wires together. These clips have more recently been utilized in other fields such as lobstering in the construction of wire lobster traps where the clips are utilized to assemble the traps by holding the wire sections together.
U-clips commonly are assembled in strips held together by a carrier tape and are fed into applying machines. The applying machines cause the clips to be reformed tightly around the parallel wires. A problem, though, has been noted when using the prior art clips in the construction of lobster traps. Prior art U-clips come with squared-off ends on their prong members. The lobster trap wire is plastic or vinyl-coated in order to prevent electrolysis. When clips of the prior art are utilized in the construction of lobster traps, the inside of the squared-off ends of the clips dig into and cause cuts and abrasions in the plastic coating on the wire, often penetrating the coating and exposing the steel wire inside. When the lobster trap is in use in the ocean, salt water comes in contact with the wire through such cuts and by the process of electrolysis, current is created and the wire in the lobster trap corrodes and disintegrates in a much shorter span of time than its normal lifetime if the vinyl covering were not damaged by the clip member.